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Classic 900 Turbo problem

Hello again...well the mighty Saab is acting up again....This time she picked the hottest day of the year to it with the temp pushing 45 degree outside....So here are the symptoms etc:

Not sure if this is related but...I missed a gear changing down (2nd instead of 4th) so the engine had a bit of a hard time revving etc, I recon the fuel cut-off may have even kicked in..and some time after the problems all started.

  1. When cold she runs fine
  2. When hot she misses a lot and sometimes struggles to pick up revs etc. She is drivable, but only just enough to crawl home.
  3. When I stop the car, the engine is very hot...
  4. There is water (green antifreeze stuff) in the water reservoir.
  5. I can unscrew the top off the reservoir with no problems...i.e. there is NO pressure.
  6. If I squeeze the top radiator hose I can see the fluid level in the reservoir rise.
  7. Odd but the Radiator hoses do NOT appear to be under any pressure at all.

Any thoughts at all would be much appreciated.

Cheers

Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time.

Reply to
SuperGlide
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Perhaps there is a blockage in the fuel supply system? I've still got to investigate that aspect with the 8V turbo car I'm repairing.

Is the car losing coolant at all? Have you checked the thermostat and it's housing? Do all the coolant hoses (to/from heater valve, large and small hose to coolant tank, etc. get hot to indicate there is flow through all paths in the coolant system?

Regards,

Craig.

Reply to
Craig's Saab C900 Site

....regarding the fuel problem, could it be fuel starvation as Craig suggests aggravated by the high ambient temperature? As for overheating, what does the temperature gauge read? If it's high it may be worth removing the thermostat temporarily or replacing it. Other than that it's down to the business of eliminating one thing at a time I guess....slow and painful..>!

Reply to
Pidgeonpost

I should add that I can smell petrol for a while when it first starts acting up - sorry forgot about that earlier. I recon the ambient temp could be messing up the fuel delivery system somehow....But it could be unrelated to the overheating.

The temp problem is really weird. The temp gauge in the dashboard says the temp is normal...i.e. its not reading anything higher than I have ever seen it display.

There was no liquid on the ground when I stopped to let the engine cool down and there does not appear to be any leaks...But I have yet to go over it with a fine tooth comb.

Reading the Bentley I recon that it could be a stuft thermostat not switching the coolant flow properly once the engine heats up....Why do I think this...well the radiator hoses were hot BUT not boiling hot (i.e. hot due to the engine heat). And when I took the cap of the reservoir I was able to dip my finger in the fluid ad while it was warm, it certainly was NOT boiling. Its almost as if the main cooling paths are not being used. AND the heater worked very well!!!!!!!....I tried cooling things by turning the heater onto full and boy was the air coming from the vents HOT...I could have burnt my hand if I had held it there too long.

Graeme

Reply to
SuperGlide

....yes, maybe the 'stat is on the way out. May also be worth swapping the cap from the coolant top-up tank if there's no pressure in the system. Can't remember my science, but doesn't pressurising the system affect the temperature in some way? Both the stat and cap are easy swaps before you get into any open heart surgery though...

Reply to
Pidgeonpost

yes, raising pressure raises the boiling point, as does adding anti- freeze. It means that the system can run a hotter without actually boiling over.

Reply to
NeedforSwede2

Isn't that nature's way of saying "don't go out there"?

Any whooshing noises? You may have blown, for instance, the pressure hose off of the top of the turbo. Speaking from direct personal experience.

Ah. That, isn't good, but doesn't fit with missing a shift.

I think a pressure test is in order. Bad performance, overheating (maybe), and no pressure could be a head gasket or head?

Dave Hinz

Reply to
Dave Hinz

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